It's been a kind end to the November trading month for ASX investors today, with the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shaking off some early jitters to finish well in the green.
By the close of trading, the ASX 200 had risen by a rosy 0.74%, which leaves the index at 7,087.3 points.
Today's happy end to the month comes after a bumpy night over on the American markets last night.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) gave up a big lead to close just 0.038% higher.
The Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) fared even worse, giving up its own early lead to close 0.16% down.
But back to the ASX, and happier tidings, now. So let's check out how the various ASX sectors fared this Thursday.
Winners and losers
Kicking off with the red sectors from today's session, and these were led by utilities shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) missed out on today's pleasing gains and went backwards by 0.95%.
Also left in the dust were ASX energy stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) was another drag on sentiment, losing 0.26% of its value.
But that's it when it comes to the losers. Turning to the positive sectors, none were more jubilant than industrials shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) had a cracker, rocketing up 1.43%.
Tech shares were also on fire this Thursday. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) surged by a pleasing 1.29% by the end of trading.
That was closely followed by financials stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) was right on that tail, rising by 1.24%.
Consumer staples shares came in next, with the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ) vaulting 1.20% higher.
Communications services rose this Thursday as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) finished 0.76% higher.
Mining stocks were also getting snapped up. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) put on an encouraging 0.51% by the closing bell.
Another winner was the healthcare sector. The S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) swelled by 0.49%.
Gold shares and consumer discretionary stocks joined the list of this Thursday's winners. The All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD) gained 0.38%, while the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) lifted 0.32%.
Our final winner was the real estate investment trusts (REIT) space. The S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ) inched up by 0.13% by the end of November trading.
Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown
The best place to have money on the index today was in financial software share IRESS Ltd (ASX: IRE). IRESS shares exploded higher by 14.87% to $7.03 a share.
This followed the company releasing a strategy update and renewed earnings guidance this morning.
Here's how the remaining top ASX shares on the index went today:
| ASX-listed company | Share price | Price change |
| IRESS Ltd (ASX: IRE) | $7.03 | 14.87% |
| Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX: HVN) | $3.93 | 4.52% |
| Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: TLX) | $10.08 | 4.24% |
| Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC) | $3.84 | 4.07% |
| Downer EDI Ltd (ASX: DOW) | $4.24 | 3.67% |
| NRW Holdings Ltd (ASX: NWH) | $2.80 | 3.32% |
| Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) | $5.94 | 3.13% |
| Fletcher Building Ltd (ASX: FBU) | $4.29 | 3.13% |
| Ventia Services Group Ltd (ASX: VNT) | $3.00 | 3.09% |
| Emerald Resources N.L. (ASX: EMR) | $2.85 | 2.89% |
Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary to let you know which companies were making big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.
